Track-laying car.



w. T. KRAUSCH & E. F. WEBER.

TRACK LAYING CAR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1911- 1,2%3,188. Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

111m! e nTSns OOOOOOOOO W. T. KRAUSCH & E. F. WEBER.

TRACK LAYING CAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1.12m.

1,243,188. Patented Oct. 16,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

my jinIfeRtoYi WALTER T. KRAUSCH, OF LA GRANGE, AND ERNST F. WEBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRACK-LAYING- CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 16, 1917.

Original application filed June 12, 1916, Serial No. 103,239. Dividedand this application filed May 7, 1917. Serial No. 167,132.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER T. KRAUsoH and ERNST F. l/VnBnR, citizens of the United States, and residents of La Grange, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track- Laying Cars, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of our specification.

Our invention relates more particularly to a car adapted for handling and laying rails in position on the ties at a point in advance of the car, which is adapted to move or run on the rails previously laid thereby; the construction being adapted to pick up the loose or unlaid rails, which have been previously distributed along the road-bed, and quickly swing or move the same into proper position on the ties.

The invention contemplates a car or machine provided with motive power for propelling the car along the rails, and also provide power for the mechanism mounted on the car and whereby the rails are lifted and lowered into position; the construction being such that a single operator may control the application of power to the running gear of the car to propel the latter in the desired direction and at the desired speed and also to the mechanism carried by the car whereby the unlaid rails are manipulated.

This application relates to certain subjectmatter disclosed in our previously filed application bearing Serial No. 103,239 and filed June 12, 1916, and is a divisional application taken from said application Serial No. 103,239; and the construction as well as its advantages will be more fully comprehended from the following detailed description of the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a partial, side elevation and partial longitudinal sectional view of our improved car.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

In the particular exemplification of the invention, as-disclosed in the drawings, the car is composed of suitable side sills 5, 5 secured together by end sills 6, 6 and with intermediate sills 7, 7; the underframe also comprisingthe longitudinally disposed in.

termediate sills 8, 8 extending from one end sill 6 to one of the transverse sills 7 ,as well as the longitudinally disposed intermediate sills 9, 9 which extend intermediate of the transversely disposed sills 7, 7, see Fig. 2.

The intermediate longitudinal sills 8, 8 provide-support for a suitable motor indicated at 10, which may be of a well known type of internal combustion motor, having a radiator 11, see Fig. 1. The motor operated shaft 12 is provided with a sprocket 13 which is adapted to transmit power to a shaft 14 by means of a sprocket chain which meshes with sprocket-wheel 15 secured on power or drive-shaft 14.

The shaft 14 is rotatably mounted in suitable hangers 16 secured to the car underframe, with the shaft 14 preferably mounted at the longitudinal center line of the car, as very clearly shown in Fig. 2. The powershaft 14 extends toward the front end of the car and is there provided with a suitable gear preferably in the form of a mitergear 17 which is adapted to mesh with the miter-gears 18 and '19,.both of which are loosely mounted on the front journal 20 to which the front wheels 21, 21 are secured; the journal being, of course. secured to the car underframe by suitable hangers or journal-boxes.

The miter-gear 18 is controlled by suitable olutch mechanism 22, while the mitergear 19 is controlled by a similar clutch mechanism 23. Both of the clutch mechanisms just referred to are slidably keyed on the front journal or axle 20 and are adapted to provide operative relation between the gears 18 and 19, respectively, and the journal. The clutch mechanisms may be of a well known type of construction, and therefore will require no specific description.

The clutch mechanism 22 is controlled by a lever 24 pivoted at 25 to the end sill of the car u-nderframe so as to swing laterally; while the clutch mechanism 23 is controlled by a similar lever 26 pivoted at 27 to the end sill of the car underframe, see Fig. 2. The opposite ends of both levers 24 and 26 are pivotally secured to a connecting link 28, with which bell-crank lever 29 is operatively connected; the bell-crank lever 29 being shown having slot and pin connection with the connecting link 28; the slotted end of the bell-crank lever 2.9. beingprefcrably bifurcated, as shown in F ig, 1 so as to strad= dle the connecting link 28. The bell-crank lever is pivotally mounted at 30 to the underframe, as shown'in Fig. 1, and has one of its ends pivotally secured to a reach-rod 31, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, because it extends along beneath the floor of the car. pivotallysecured to the lower end of ahandlever 32 which is mounted on a stub-shaft or rod 33 mounted in suitable bearings on the side frame and: one of the intermediate longitudinal sills 9, see Fig. 2.

With the construction just described, when hand-lever 32 is moved forwardly or to the right in Fig. 2, reach-rod '31 will be I drawn to the left and rock bell-crank lever 29 in a direction which will induce connecting link 28 to move lever 24 toward the clutch mechanism 22 and force the latter into operative relationwith miter-gear 18 and thus induce an operative connection between gear 18 and front journal oraxle 20. During this movement, it is apparent that clutch mechanism 23 will be moved out of operative relation with miter-gear 19 through the action of lever 26, so that power will be transmitted from shaft 1-1 to the front jouf' nal or axle through the medium of mitergear 18 and clutch mechanism 22, thus causing; the car to move forwardly.

Movement of hand-lever 32 in the reverse direction or toward the left in Fig. 2 will force reachrod 31 forwardly or to the right in Fig. 2, and cause bell-crank lever 29 to be oscillated in a direction which will move connecting link 28 in such transverse dir'ec tion that lever 28 will be moved toward the power shaft, while lever 24: will be moved in a direction away from the power-shaft;

Such operation will induce lever 26 to move clutch mechanism 23 into operative relation with miter-gear 19, and'cause power to be transmitted from shaft 141 through the me diumof miter-gears 17 and 19 and clutch mechanism 23 to the frontjournal 20 and I thereby force the car to travel in a direction opposite to that induced by the operative relation formed when clutch mechanism 22 has been actuated,

At suitable points, the ear is shown provided with a post or mast 34,- to which is secured a boom 35 (only a portion of the latterbeing shown in Fig. 1); while rearward of the mast is shown a Windlass supported by posts 36; As the mast, boom and Windlass, and their correlated mechanisms form the subject-matter of the application hereinbefore referred to a detailed descrip tionof these portions will not be entered into. The Windlass is adapted to be operated, by ower transmitted fr m powershaft 14, through the medium of sprocket-*- chain 37 which extends about a sprocket; Wheaten which is secured to a stub or coun- The other end of the reach-r0d31 is" 1,2as,1es

ter-shaft 39 suitably mounted in the carunderframe so asto rotate. The rotatably mounted stub-shaft 39 is provided with a cone or friction wheel 40 which is adapted to have operative or frictional relation with the cone pulleys or friction wheels ll and Y42 which are slidably keyed on the power- Shaft 14:.

. Pivotally mounted to the car underframe' are a pair of levers as and 14; the one having operative or controlling relation with cone pulley or friction wheel 41, while the other is connected to cone pulley or frictionwheel 42. The free ends of the two levers 43 and 4 1 are, in turn, pivotally connected to a reach-rod 4L5 which has pivotal connection with the lower end-of a suitable operating lever 46 mounted on stubshaft 17, which is disposed in a direction transversely of the car and is shown mounted in a manner similar to stub shaft 33 previously described; ibeing preferably at a point substantially in alinement with the stub=shaft 33 so as to bring both operatinglevers 32 and 16 within reach of the operator while occupying the seat shown at 48, thus enabling the operator to control the operations of both car and mechanisms from a common point on the car.

Movement of hand-lever l6, rearwardly or toward the left in Fig. 2, will force reachrod 1-5 toward the front end of the car and thereby bring cone pulley or friction wheel 41 into frictional relation with the conepulley 10; while friction wheel or cone pulley -12 will be moved out of operative engagement with the large cone-pulley l0. Movement of hand lever 416 in the opposite direction will draw thereach-rod 15 bacliwardly thereby moving cone-pulley d1 out of operative engagement with pulley 40 and cause cone-pulley 4-2 to have operative en gagement with cone pulley l0. mechanism just described,- it is apparent that power will be transmitted from the power-shaft 14 to the Windlass, cause the latter to be operated in the desired directions, namely in winding or unwinding di rection's. g

The floor of the car isshown provided with a suitable opening for the passage of a foot lever 49 which is secured to a suitable transversely extending roc'k shaft '50 to which is secured a link 51 to the free end whereof is secured a reach r'od 52 which conl Vith theneets with a lever 53 pivotally secured at 54c clamped or brought into firm frictional or binding engagement with the brake-wheel 57, and prevent accidental movement of the car.

As is apparent from the construction shown and described, a single operator can control both the movement of the car, along the track, and also the operation of the windlass and rail-lifting mechanism, thus obviating the employment of a number of operators, as has heretofore been the case; with the result that a great saving in labor is not only provided, but the laying of tracks accomplished in a materially less period of time, so that the expense of construction is greatly reduced.

We have shown and describedwhat we believe to be the simplest and best embodiment of our invention, but it will be understood that the invention may have expression in diiferent mechanical form without, however, departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim is 1. A car of the class described, provided with motive power, a power-shaft journaled in the car underframe and extending lengthwise thereof, said shaft being controlled by said motive power, a pair of gears loosely mounted on the car axle, a gear on the power-shaft arranged intermediate of said first mentioned gears and in constant mesh therewith, a pair of clutch mechanisms feathered on the car axle and adapted to have operative relation with the gears loosely mounted on said axle whereby operative relation between the car axle and said gears is effected, means common to both clutch mechanisms whereby one is moved into operative position while the other is moved out of operative position when said means are actuated, a counter-shaft mounted in the car underframe and disposed in a transverse direction, said counter-shaft being provided with a friction pulley or wheel, a pair of friction wheels or pulleys feathered on the power-shaft and adapted to have operative relation with the friction wheel on said counter-shaft, and means whereby the selective friction wheel or pulley, mounted on the power-shaft, is moved into operative relation with the friction wheel or pulley on said counter-shaft.

2. A car of the class described, provided with motive power whereby said car is propelled and the mechanism thereon operated, a power-shaft rotatably journaled in the car under-frame and arranged to extend into proximity with the car axle, the axle being provided with a pair of gears loosely mounted thereon while the power-shaft is provided with a gear arranged intermediate of said pair of gears and in constant mesh therewith, clutch mechanisms feathered on said axle and adapted to have operative relation with the gears mounted on the axle whereby the selective gear is operatively connected with the axle and power transmitted thereto from the power-shaft in the desired direction, a counter-shaft for imparting power to the mechanism mounted on vthe car, power-transmitting means intermediate of the power-shaft and said counter-shaft, and means whereby selective portions of said last mentioned means are affected and power transmitted to the counter-shaft in the desired direction.

3. A car of the class described, provided with motive power for propelling the car and transmitting power to the mechanism mounted on the car, the car axle being provided with a pair of gears loosely mounted thereon, a power-shaft rotatably mounted in the car underframe and provided with a gear arranged intermediate of the gears on the axle and in constant mesh therewith, a counter-shaft for transmitting power to the mechanism mounted on the car, powertransmitting means intermediate of the power-shaft and said counter-shaft, and means operable from a common point on the car whereby selective portions of the gear on the axle and selective portions of the power-transmitting means intermediate of the power-shaft and the counter-shaft are actuated and power transmitted in the desired direction.

WALTER T. KRAUSCH. ERNST F. WEBER. Witnesses:

J. H. PETTIBONE, R. SAUNDERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). 0. 

